


unexpected

by anisstaranise



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Dates, M/M, Season 4 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 22:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16564280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anisstaranise/pseuds/anisstaranise
Summary: “Okay, if the Warblers win, we go on one date,” he had said. “One date, Sebastian,” he reiterated, bringing up his index finger up between them. “One.”Sebastian had smirked. “One.”





	unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> An anon sent a Tumblr ask, sharing this S4 bet headcanon and I ran with it.

The bell above the door jingled sweetly as Blaine walked into the cafe. The spaces around him exuded warmth and all the cosiness of home, from the inviting smell of the brewing coffee to the colourful, mismatched furniture. He huffed as he surveyed the room, annoyed at how _charming_ the cafe actually was. How did Sebastian even find this place anyway, he wondered.

At the thought of Sebastian, Blaine finally spotted the other boy seated in the far corner of the cafe, at a quaint table for two next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. His mousy brown hair was slicked in its usual stylish manner, his lean body clad in a perfect-fitting grey sweater. A moment passed with Blaine lost in thought, thinking of just how attractive Sebastian was. It wasn’t the first time such a thought had crossed his mind. It took a few more moments to shake himself out of it, reminding himself he ought to be vexed at his current situation.

Sectionals was a week ago- and the New Directions had perished under the suave and _Cirque du Soleil_ level of choreography by the Warblers, as well as the mellifluous tenor of Sebastian’s singing voice that matched perfectly with their song choice. In short, the Warblers had brought their A game and had buried all of their competition.

But the New Directions losing to the Warblers wasn’t the worst thing to have happened; that night, Blaine had also lost a bet to a certain mousy brown-haired Warbler.

“I have a proposition for you, Anderson,” Sebastian had purred when he managed to catch Blaine alone backstage before their performances.

“I would ask ‘business or sexual’ but I have no interest in either,” Blaine said with an annoyed huff, turning on his heel and walking away. What was it with this Warbler that got under his skin, he mused.

“C’mon-” the Warbler had crooned, falling in step next to Blaine a moment later. “- live a little. Think about what you’d gain.”

Blaine had stopped mid-stride, his curiosity piqued.

“What do you want, Sebastian?” he asked as he stood face-to-face with the other boy.

A sly smile broke across Sebastian’s face, a hint of something mischievous glinting in his green eyes.

“A bet.”

“A bet?”

“Yes,” Sebastian had said, “One date, me and you- if the Warblers win sectionals.”

A graceless snort had escaped Blaine. “I have to go on a date with you if the Warblers win?”

“Yes.”

“And if the New Directions win?”

Sebastian had shrugged, “It’s up to you.”

Silence fell as Blaine contemplated the stipulation of the bet. New Directions had a solid set list this time around and a stellar choreography to boot. Not to mention they had been working their asses off for months leading up to Sectionals. He was confident they had it in the bag this year.

And so Blaine had nodded curtly.

“Okay, if the Warblers win, we go on one date,” he had said. “One date, Sebastian,” he reiterated, bringing up his index finger up between them. “One.”

Sebastian had smirked. “One.”

Satisfied with Sebastian’s agreement, Blaine let his hand fall to his side once more.

On top of everything that was happening in his life- stewing deep in self-loathing and regret brought on by his own infidelity, nursing a heart broken by the distance set between Ohio and New York- he really didn’t need to have Sebastian harassing him with lewd compliments and all the not-so-subtle sexual innuendoes.

They were friends once, him and Sebastian. But a lot had changed since. And he just didn’t feel that there was space for Sebastian right now. Perhaps this bet was the perfect way to cut ties once and for all without any hard feelings, Blaine had thought.

And so it had been decided;

“And if I win, you leave me alone, yeah?” Blaine had said, laying out his side of the bet.

It might have been his imagination: Blaine could have sworn that Sebastian had looked startled but the sly smile had returned, curling attractively on the other boy’s lips.

“Sure thing, Anderson.”

They had shook on it; Sebastian’s grip firm in his, that sly smile never leaving his face. They walked away from each other and Blaine had never felt so confident of winning before- both the bet and Sectionals.

Then, Blaine had watched Sebastian perform. And in that moment he had known, deep in his gut that he and the New Directions would lose. The Warbler had been so graceful in the execution of his movements. And his voice; it had given Blaine chills- in the best of ways. Sebastian was mesmerizing.

And he had won the bet fair and square, Blaine thought grudgingly.

The bell above the door jingled again, announcing the presence of a middle-aged couple behind him and successfully derailing Blaine’s train of thought.

His gaze met Sebastian’s from across the room and a fluttery-warmth swirled in his stomach that he chalked up to his annoyance when he saw the usual sly smile spread across the other boy’s face. Blaine stomped towards Sebastian’s table like a child throwing a tantrum, eager to show the Warbler his displeasure of having to be here, on this date.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?” Blaine huffed as he slid into his seat after shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over the back of his chair.

The sly smile remained on Sebastian’s face as he slowly pushed two packets of brown sugar and a mug of steaming black tea across the table towards him, a hint of strawberry wafting sweetly from it. Blaine’s favourite.

It took a moment for Blaine to realize that he was gaping, mouth hanging open embarrassingly wide. But he was too dazed to mind. After all this time, after losing touch so many months ago, Sebastian still remembered his favourite drink and just how he liked it. Their initial friendship had been brief, a breeze at best. How could Sebastian have remembered? Or care enough to remember?

Silence dragged on between them. Blaine’s eyes kept darting from the mug to Sebastian.

“I could get you something else- if- if this isn’t your um- cup of tea? No pun intended," Sebastian said, finally breaking the silence.

Blaine felt a shy smile creep on his lips as he closed his eyes and shook his head. And suddenly, any trace of annoyance he had felt earlier evaporated, like the dissipating curl of steam from his mug of tea.

“No, it’s fine. This is- um- this is perfect,” he said, opening his eyes once more to regard Sebastian.

To his surprise, Blaine found that the sly smile was gone from Sebastian’s face and in its place was something else, something... jittery, like Sebastian was nervous.

That was crazy, he thought. Why would the Warbler be nervous?

“I’m just surprised you remembered how I took my tea.”

“I remember lots of things about you, Anderson,” Sebastian replied.

There was no hint of teasing, no opening for an innuendo. It was clearly sincere and Blaine felt the wind get knocked out of him.

How did he get from annoyed at having to be on this date with Sebastian to feeling... smitten?

This was exactly why he had opted to have Sebastian leave him alone for his stipulation of the bet, Blaine thought. This was the thing he didn’t need- this _feeling_ , this _want_ that Sebastian elicited; one that the other boy had always managed to elicit. It was confusing.

Sebastian cleared his throat and he took a sip of his drink. There was colour in his cheeks- a blush, maybe- like he was embarrassed that he actually said what he had said.

Sebastian? Nervous? Blushing? These were all things Blaine had never seen in the other boy before. But then, how well did he really know Sebastian? Surely not well enough to even know the Warbler’s choice of coffee. Or was that tea he was drinking?

“I remember a lot of things about you, too,” Blaine finally said.

At this, Sebastian arched a brow as he set down his mug. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know exactly how you take your coffee or anything but I do remember you boasting about splashing some cognac in it,” Blaine said, replaying the memory of their first coffee together. “Courvoisier, was it? When you lived in Paris?”

The laugh that poured out of Sebastian was unexpected- but the sound was sweet and Blaine secretly felt pleased that he had been the one to have done it.

“Did I really say that? Dropping the fact that I lived in Paris?”

“That you did.”

Sebastian laughed again. This time, Blaine laughed too. It felt effortless. And it felt... good. For the first time in a long time, _something_ felt good again.

“I must say-” Sebastian said, running a finger over the brim of his mug over and over. “- this whole night has been a surprise. A pleasant one, mind you.”

Taken aback, Blaine sat up straighter in his seat. “But _you_ asked _me_ out. So how is this night surprising?”

Sebastian merely shrugged as he gazed out the window. “I didn’t think we’d win,” the other boy said as he slowly turned to look at Blaine again. “I saw you sing, at rehearsal.”

“You spied on us?” he asked, although he wasn’t at all surprised. Show choir espionage, as it was known amongst glee clubs everywhere, was a common occurrence.

“As if _you_ didn’t send your... _representatives_ to Dalton.”

Blaine ducked his head, bringing his cooling mug of strawberry tea to his lips in hopes of hiding a smile. He let out a non-committal hum, neither confirming nor denying Sebastian’s allegations. He hadn’t been part of the decision but he had known that some of the new New Directions had gone to Dalton.

“You were... flawless... as always,” Sebastian said, almost breathily and his heart thudded out of rhythm for a few moments.

 There it was again. Sebastian’s sincerity.

And there it was again, that _feeling_ and _want_ stirring inside of him.

“Never would I imagine the Warblers beating you after that solo. Not everyone could have pulled off the rapid fire bars of _You Need Me, I Don’t Need You_ \- but you, Anderson-” Sebastian said with an air of awe that made Blaine blush. “-for the lack of a better word, you were... flawless.”

A smile so wide curled on Blaine’s lips, the butterflies frantically fluttering in his belly. This admiration, this recognition- it was all he had ever wanted from any one of his performances, from all of them. After all the blood, sweat and tears he would put into his work, his _art_ , it was a wonder that he received all that he yearned for from the likes of Sebastian. And Sebastian gave it so willingly.

 _Flawless_ , Sebastian had said. Unapologetically, Blaine let the word wash over him. He deserved this.

_Never would I imagine the Warblers beating you after that solo._

And then it hit him.

“If you didn’t think you’d win-” Blaine asked, his mind whirling. “-why did you propose the bet?”

There was that jittery _something_ crossing Sebastian’s features again as the other boy fidgeted slightly in his seat.

Blaine regarded Sebastian, the seemingly nervous boy sitting across from him. He had never seen Sebastian like this- so unguarded, so... vulnerable. Was this the real boy behind the snarky retorts and sharp tongue?

A moment passed without words, tongue-tied and their eyes never quite meeting. Then, finally, with a sigh, Sebastian spoke.

“As highly as I like to think of myself, Anderson, I’d like to think I’m man enough to admit that you are way out of my league.”

Blaine’s breath caught somewhere in his chest.

“It was the only way I could think of to ask you out without the chance of an outright rejection,” Sebastian explained, huffing a rather endearing self-deprecating chuckle. “I don’t think my ego could handle the blow.”

“How did you know I would reject you outright?” Blaine asked but even as he said the words he knew Sebastian was right. If it wasn’t for the bet, if it was under any other circumstances, Blaine would have said no.

“Way out of my league,” Sebastian simply said. “And besides, I was probably too chicken shit to do it like a normal person, if I’m being honest. The bet was kind of a way to ask without really asking.”

Blaine furrowed his brows, slightly confused. “That’s... interesting.”

“You could have still said no, you know.”

“What?”

Sebastian plucked a paper coaster from under his mug and twirled it between his nervous fingers, fraying the edges into ribbons.

“I just wanted you to know that you could have said no, to this date. I really didn’t know the Warblers would win and I don’t want you to think I tricked you into coming on this date,” the other boy said, his words rolling fast off his tongue until he sounded almost winded. “And you can leave any time. You don’t have to stay because of some bet.”

Blaine’s heart was pounding now. Earlier that evening, the only reason he had showed up to this date was to honour the bet. But now, Sebastian was giving him a choice. To leave, or to stay.

Should I stay, or should I go- Blaine wondered. But if he was being honest, he had made that decision the moment Sebastian passed him his tea.

“I want to stay,” he said without hesitation.

Sebastian smiled a smile that was caught between sly and pleased. Blaine found it attractive just the same.

“I’m glad.”

From that point of the night, their talks moved to lighter topics, trading silly banter about sports and smack-talking each other’s glee clubs. They treaded gently on the heavier topics, testing the waters before they both decided that it was safe to dive in and be open, to be honest.

“My parents have this whole five-year plan set out for me, and I don’t even know what I want to major yet,” Sebastian confided.

“A mistake I made in a moment of weakness cost me my New York dream,” he offered in return, yet somehow, saying it aloud wasn’t as painful as he thought it would be. Maybe he was healing. Maybe it was because of Sebastian.

He had forgotten how easy it had been, just talking to Sebastian. Like all those texts they had once exchanged at all hours, discussing set lists and ways for removing wine stains, arguing about movies and the true meaning of love. And it was amazing how easily they had fallen back into a rhythm, their steps in sync.

After being politely shooed away by the cafe’s owner at closing time, Sebastian walked Blaine to his car, both boys quiet as they made their way. Blaine didn’t need the escort but the Warbler had insisted and he was more than happy to comply. He wasn’t ready for the night to end just yet- even if it was past his curfew.

Blaine breathed in deep, the crisp night air a refreshing jolt to his lungs, his mind. He felt all talked-out and there was an indescribable comfort in just walking next to Sebastian.

Losing the bet was an unexpected defeat, he thought. But tonight had turned out to be unexpectedly delightful. Blaine silently wondered why he had dreaded this date in the first place.

 _If I win, you leave me alone, yeah?_ He cringed at the sudden memory of his stipulation for the bet. After tonight, he couldn’t imagine ever cutting ties with Sebastian. He would miss it too much.

It was then that Blaine became aware of an itch, a raging desire broiling in his chest. There was a phantom feeling on his lips, burning with need and want; god, how he wanted to kiss Sebastian.

But if Sebastian felt the same, he didn’t show it. He was the epitome of chivalry, the perfect gentleman.

If he wanted the kiss, he would have to be the one to prompt it. But Blaine didn’t have the courage. He hadn’t had courage for a while now. Not since he let himself fall so madly in love and knotted himself so tight that his happiness was dependent on another boy.

And then, losing said boy, his heart broken.

Just then, Sebastian turned to him and smiled.

The thing about courage was that it was like a fire. It might die down but it could be stoked. And that smile, this whole night and this unexpected date- it was like a breath blown gently on embers, reigniting the flame.

It wasn’t much; just a flicker of a flame, of courage- not enough for him to physically make the first move- but it was _enough_.

So Blaine used what glimmer of courage he had to do the one thing he could think of; he confessed.

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

Sebastian’s steps halted as he regarded Blaine in surprise, blinking rapidly, almost comically. And before the other boy could respond, he went on- “But I like to think myself old-fashioned. No kisses until at least the third date.”

He was flirting and teasing- and he definitely sounded braver than he felt. His heart was rioting against his ribcage and he could feel his palms getting sweaty. But he had done it, had said it.

“Third date?” Sebastian muttered as he rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “You made it very clear that there’d only be one date.”

He had. One date. He had reiterated it at least three times.

“Well, I changed my mind. Tonight was fun and I thought maybe we could do this again.”

Then, suddenly, a panic set in hard, cold and relentless, almost dousing his flame of courage. What if Sebastian didn’t want any more dates? Or anything beyond this date?

“Unless- you wouldn’t- I mean, it’s fine, if you don’t want to-”

“No!” Sebastian all but yelled. “No, it’s not that. I just- I was lucky enough to get this one date. I just didn’t think-”

“-that I would change my mind?”

“-that you’d deem me worthy of more,” Sebastian breathed, all his vulnerability and sincerity laid bare.

Blaine inhaled sharply. A reel of past events played in his mind’s eye; of stolen set lists and of pranks gone wrong, of a boy so remorseful asking for a chance.

A chance.

Maybe this was their chance. There was clearly something between them, something that had been there from that very first meeting not too long ago. Maybe they could be something more.

Maybe this was the chance to heal and give his heart the reprieve from feeling guilty. To forgive himself and to let go of all things past. To move on. To feel and want; to know he was allowed to feel this indescribable way for Sebastian, that he was allowed to want the other boy.

This was his chance, their chance.

“That was before, that was the past,” Blaine said, chancing a step closer to Sebastian. He could almost feel the heat emanating off the Warbler’s body, could hear his laboured breathing. “This is now. That’s all that matters.”

He lingered close for a moment longer, that flicker of courage making him bolder, before taking a step back. He was pleased that Sebastian instinctively leaned in closer as if in trance, gravitating towards him.

“What’d you say, Sebastian? Pizza at Giuseppina’s next Friday. Say... 7:30? Maybe a movie after?”

Sebastian smiled in response. Gone was his usual sly smile. This was wide and genuine and blinding. And it was beautiful.

“It’s a date, Anderson.”

\---END.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments welcomed.


End file.
